Where are Sony’s toilet PSPs?

I may be imagining things, but the last time I was at Sony’s 3Rooms ‘brand space’, there was a PSP encased in plastic above the toilet. Yesterday at a LittleBigPlanet hands-on event, they’d mysteriously disappeared. Had the East-London property been burgled? Was there an electrical failure? Can you solve the mystery of the disappearing PSPs?

Sony’s 3Rooms is still a remarkable place though — pretty much anyone’s ideal flat if they’re at all into technology or gaming. Sony uses it to show off its new releases, and with an abundance of large flat-screen TVs and PS3s, there’s never any trouble finding something to play with. Impressions of LittleBigPlanet and PlayTV should follow shortly, and in the meantime here are some shots of 3Rooms from an earlier event.

Start/Select

This is Start/Select, a new show that I’ve been doing for GameSpot UK. We’re now on episode five, with the latest edition seeing us transported to Montreal for a first look at Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 and Far Cry 2. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Rockstar and the art of giving a preview

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be invited to see Rockstar London for a first play on Grand Theft Auto IV. This was an occasion in itself — Rockstar never allows journalists to play a GTA game ahead of release. But regardless of the game, Rockstar has to be commended as a publisher that really knows how to show off its games.

For anyone who isn’t privy to the world of games journalism and/or PR, here’s how a typical preview event goes down. You and an assembled throng of journalists will be invited to a central-London location. There, you’ll be given a short introduction by the game’s designers, after which there’ll be the chance to ask some questions. If you’re lucky, or the game is due for imminent release, you’ll get to play on the game while anxious PRs look over your shoulder to make sure you’re not breaking anything. You may also have the chance to have a one-on-one interview, although you’ll invariably have to wait around for the publisher to fit you in.

Rockstar works differently. When they invite you to see their game, they invite you personally and put you in a dark room with an awesome home cinema setup. They spend ages with you (two and a half hours with GTA IV), talking you through everything they’re showing you and answering any questions along the way. They give you time to explore at your leisure, allowing you to have an experience that’s different to everyone else who’s played the game. They even have bowls of sweets lying around in case you need a sugar hit. There’s a passion and a buzz about everything Rockstar does, and while it obviously helps when you have one of the most anticipated games of the year, the way they demo things serves as an example to the rest of the industry.

Sadly I can’t talk about anything from the game itself as it’s all under embargo, but rest assured, the coverage will be up on GameSpot in the next couple of weeks. Instead, I’ll leave you with some random shots that I took from the company’s office. Sorry they’re a bit…rubbish, but the office itself is pretty secretive.

Jon Hare Interview

This week I was lucky enough to interview games industry legend and all-round nice guy Jon Hare for the GameSpot UK podcast. In it, he talks about Cannon Fodder and Sensible Soccer, working with Nintendo, and his general opinion on the state of gaming. Anyone with a passing interest in the UK games industry should check it out.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Review

DS, Available now, £29.99

Mario Hoops is a basketball game starring the portly Italian plumber, but apart from having two nets and a ball it doesn’t have much in common with the real sport. The game is controlled via the DS touchscreen, with an emphasis on making choreographed runs to the net to score extra points. The single-player game is easy and unspectacular, but the game comes alive in multiplayer, where you can share a variety of games from one cartridge. It’s also the best looking game on the DS, even if the touchscreen doesn’t quite offer the required precision.

Originally appeared in the November 2006 issue of Hotdog magazine.

Just Cause Review

Xbox 360 (version tested), PS2, Available now, £39.99

If Grand Theft Auto and Far Cry got drunk and horny, Just Cause would undoubtedly be the lovechild. The main point of the game is to topple the corrupt government of San Esperito, but half of the fun is exploring the fictitious island and taking part in the side missions. You can parasail from any vehicle thanks to a grapple hook, and if you get bored you can become a prominent member of a drug cartel. However, as with many games this ambitious, there are a mountain of bugs, and it just isn’t as much fun as the games that inspired it.

Originally appeared in the November 2006 issue of Hotdog magazine.

Destroy All Humans! 2 Review

PS2 (version tested), Xbox. Available now, £34.99

Destroy All Humans! was a loving homage to Fifties sci-fi, and its sequel plants the likeable alien Crypto in the Sixties. The storyline involves the Soviet Union blowing up your mothership, but it mainly serves as an excuse for jokes about hippies and communists. The humour is mostly successful, but the game is too similar to the original. At least this time you can play co-operatively with a friend, while new weapons, such as the meteor strike and dislocator, let you wreak new levels of destruction.

Originally appeared in The Telegraph, 4th November 2006.

FIFA 07 Review

PS2 (version tested), Xbox, PC, GameCube, PSP, Nintendo DS, GameBoy Advance. Available now, £29.99-£39.99

The FIFA series may sell by the truckload, but it has long been chasing Pro Evolution Soccer as the critics’ football game of choice. This year, EA Sports is genuinely approaching Konami’s masterpiece, with a superb new first-touch control system that makes the game more realistic without ruining the fun. If you’re online, real-world football updates are delivered in-game, and you can mirror the season by playing weekly fixtures against people from all over the world. Add in the option to manage your favourite team and transfer your season to a PSP, and this is without doubt the best FIFA to date.

Originally appeared in The Telegraph, 11th November 2006.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Review

Xbox 360 (version tested), PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, PC. Available now, £29.99-£49.99

The arrival of a new Pro Evolution Soccer game is almost as important for football fans as the start of the season itself. The sixth in Konami’s series is the first for Xbox 360, but those expecting a next-gen overhaul may be disappointed. Graphical improvements are minor, and the main difference in gameplay is a slower pace and a need for more accurate passing.

There is online play over Xbox Live, although it often suffers from lag, and a lack of licensing leaves most teams with incorrect names. But while PES6 could certainly do with a bit more tweaking, it’s still the definitive football game, especially when played with friends.

Originally appeared in The Telegraph, 18th November 2006.